II Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the
tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for
we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man's
bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might
not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make
ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this
we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear
that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are
busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus
Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be
not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that
man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not
as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give
you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul
with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul provides a number of instructions for
the faithful in Thessalonians. He seeks to correct false rumours, lay aside certain
fears and to firmly provide instructions for how work should be divided.
In fact, Paul's message in this selection of the letter is clear: As Christians, we have
In fact, Paul's message in this selection of the letter is clear: As Christians, we have
a special responsibility to conduct ourselves in a way reflects glory to God. We must
not be freeloaders, counting on the hard work of others. We must each stay
focused, dig in and do the work that is placed before us.
This passage is best understood in the context of the entire letter. As with any piece
of writing, we must ask who wrote it and why did s/he write it?
There are a number of modern scholars who suggest that Paul was not the author
of 2 Thessalonians, but rather the identity of the actual author has been lost to the
mists of time. Questions over Pauline authenticity began to surface around 1800
and continue into the present day. While the arguments of these theologians are
not without merit, the preponderance of the evidence seems to suggest that Paul
was in fact the author. The Anchor Bible Commentary states "the arguments
against the (Pauline) authenticity of 2 Thessalonians are not persuasive." There is
no doubt that 2 Thessalonians was considered part of the cannon by early church
fathers, such as Irenaeus, Ignatius and Polycarp. (Guthrie).
So, if Paul was the author, why did he write this letter? The most direct answer to
this comes from within the passage in question. In 3:11, Paul states "For we hear
that some among you are leading an undisciplined life..." (NASB). Why did Paul
write the letter? Because he is hearing things about what is happening in
Thessalonica - a church Paul himself founded (Acts 17) - and he is not happy
about the way things are going. He needs to set the people straight. Though he
states it more indirectly in 2:2, Paul is also hearing things about some of the church
members having some confusion or taking up false beliefs in regard to the
anticipated return of Jesus. Therefore, Paul decides he needs to straighten some
things up for the people. Since Paul had previously attempted to do the same thing
with a previous letter to the church in Thessalonica, in this letter he takes a much
more stern approach.
Though Paul is talking tougher in 2 Thessalonians than he is in the first epistle, this
is not to say that Paul does not include his typical statements of Christian love and
hope for his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. In 1:3, he writes: "We must
always give thanks to God for you... because your faith is growing abundantly." In
2:13, "...God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification..." In 3:4,
"...we have confidence in the Lord concerning you..." This is typical of Paul - and
part of Paul's leadership that we should try to imitate not just as pastors and
ministers, but as simple brothers and sisters in Christ.
After his opening salutation in chapter 1, Paul offers guidance on a number of
eschatological issues that are before the church. He closes that discussion with a
request for prayer, both for himself and for the people of the church. He prays that
the word of the Lord will spread, that both the author and the readers be rescued
from evil and that the receiving audience of the epistle will be strengthened and
true as they continue being about the business of doing God's will.
In the passage in question, 3:6-13, which immediately follows this prayer, Paul then
gets at some of the specifics that the people need to either keep doing or, more
pointedly, do a better job at:Stay away from believers who are freeloading and not staying true to the teachings they received about Jesus.
Working to earn their keep - as Paul did while in Thessalonica.
Not to be busybodies, but to focus their work in such a way that gets the job done
and glorifies Christ.
Paul concludes this segment by encouraging the people not to grow weary but to
continue to do what is right.
After the conclusion of the passage in specific review, Paul suggests the believers
should note who is not living up to these expectations - not so they can be
considered as enemies so that they may be ashamed and, one would assume,
want to begin to fulfill their responsibilities and fully rejoin the brother/sisterhood of
the church.
As is his custom, Paul then closes with a brief benediction.
The message in this passage of Scripture is clear: as Christians, we all have a job
to do. We all must be willing to work, in our own capacity, to glorify God. As I reflect
on this passage, I am struck by the image of a woman in my home church, who I
will identify only as X.
X is not a person who is capable of doing any physical labor. Her body is failing her.
Yet X is an integral part of the fellowship at the church. She serves in many
capacities on committees and has served several times as a member of the
church's session. Perhaps her most important contribution to the church, however,
is her mere presence at worship and at many, many of the special activities of the
church, such as children's programs and dinner events. X is not able to attend
these events without help.
Her presence, however, is testimony that each member of the church should work
and attempt to follow the example set by Paul. X will never paint the sanctuary. X
will never serve a dinner in the church fellowship hall. X will never lead the activities
at Vacation Bible School. But X is a wonderful and faithful imitator of Paul. She is no
freeloader. She contributes more than her physical ability would ever suggest that
she could. X sets an example - based on a faithful effort to follow Christ - that is to my church what Paul attempted to be to the church in Thessalonica.
Father Ed Bakker
